We’ll soon discover how Drew Scharnowski will fare in a power conference. (Belmont University)
This week, Kentucky’s search for a new AD ended with MSU’s J Batt; LSU loaded up on transfer signings including superb shooter Abdi Bashir Jr.; and Davion Thompson, a guard who is a top 30 recruit for 2027, has committed to Arkansas. Other college basketball stories we’re tracking…
Belmont Loses Top Rebounder
The Belmont Bruins had their highest win total last season (26) since 2020-21, yet missed the NCAA tournament for the seventh straight year. Thus is life as the big fish in a small pond – Belmont’s tourney path is almost exclusively accessed through winning its conference tournament.
After all, the Missouri Valley Conference doesn’t tend to earn many at-large bids.
And the Bruins’ road to the Big Dance may be a little harder next season now that leading rebounder/block man Drew Scharnowski has departed for Duke, where he’ll occupy a bench spot for one of the best teams in the country, and a legitimate national championship contender.
He took a big step forward as a sophomore last season, seeing more action and mostly starting for Belmont. Scharnowski somewhat expanded his outside game, but it remains a small part of his arsenal; but his work as a scorer, block threat and especially as a rebounder was much improved. He also earned more points from the line, but his accuracy as a FT shooter is a major weak spot in his skill set. Still, the dude is a team player (see video below).
Scharnowski was the first of a couple of top transfer additions who will combine with perhaps the top recruiting class in the country to help Duke again be a major force. He will more or less fill the role that Maliq Brown had last season.
As a First Team All MVC and All MVC Defensive Team selection last season, Scharnowski brings a certain pedigree to Duke, and we’re curious to see how he’ll fare against much tougher ACC competition. Still, he did flash major potential against weaker opponents like in late-January when he just missed a triple double (19 points, 11 boards, nine assists) against Murray State.
Scharnowski brings more athleticism to Duke and given his high-motor effort, he should become a fan fave in time.
Ebuka Okorie’s NBA Dreams
In looking at ACC teams that will be trying to unseat Duke, the Stanford Cardinal has made good strides since switching from the Pac-12 two years ago, winning 21 games in its debut and then another 20 last season.
Despite its recent success, Stanford’s NCAA tournament drought has stretched to 12 years and it remains an extreme longshot heading into 2026-27 (+30000 to win the national title as per FanDuel).
The Cardinal will have a tough time replacing freshman guard Ebuka Okorie, who is a surprise one-and-done after enjoying a spectacular college debut and then declaring for the NBA draft. He led the team in scoring, assists and steals while playing big minutes and proving he could shoot well from anywhere and be a big source of treys.
Okorie is a major sleeper for the NBA draft given that he’s one of the top offense-first backcourt players in this class. He’s just 19 and has already proved he can put up big numbers against top competition in the ACC. Okorie is projected to go in the late first round, but could sneak up closer to the middle of the first round or perhaps even a lottery spot.
And although his offense is his calling card, it’s clear that he can also play some D given all the steals he racked up. Think of Okorie as a Collin Sexton type, a dude who has averaged almost 18.5 PPG over 475 career games (and counting). That would be a pretty damned good outcome for Okorie.
RotoRob Tune of the Day
Deep Purple’s style has varied over the years, but they will always be associated with helping develop hard rock and heavy metal. In 1968, they released their second album, The Book of Taliesyn, and the first single was “Kentucky Woman.” The single’s B-side was the instrumental “Wring That Neck,” changed to “Hard Road” in the U.S. because the original title was deemed violent. Too violent for the U.S.? Um… okay.